24. Jayson Werth, $109.2 million
Talk about being in the right place at the right time; coming off a successful three-year run with the Philadelphia Phillies that saw him emerge from journeyman status to contributing member of a World Series winner, Jayson Werth was able to parlay the Washington Nationals’ desperation to land a superstar into a $126-million contract. Entering the final year of that seven-year pact, Werth has not done much to change the tune of the initial detractors of the contract. He has played only 738 games over six seasons, slashing .267/.358/.437.
Werth definitely looks like the biggest benefactor of hitting in a lineup that included Jimmy Rollins, Chase Utley, and Ryan Howard at their peak. His first season with the Nationals was a dud, as he batted .232 with a .718 OPS. From there, Werth has struggled to stay on the field, playing fewer than 100 games in 2012 and 2015.
When he has been able to string together a full year, Werth has managed to have two good seasons in Washington — 2013 and 2014 — where he combined to post a .304/.396/.491 line with 41 home runs and 164 RBIs in 276 games. That’s the type of production the Nationals were expecting from Werth every year, but they have only gotten it in two of six seasons. This will go down as one of the biggest overpays in baseball history.